Car door



March 8, 1938. G. MADLAND 2,110,606

- can noba Filed Sept. 1, 1936 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTX G. MADLAND March 8, 1938.

CAR DOOR Filed Sept. 1, 1936 5 Shets-Sheet 2 &

-f/\/VE/\/TOR- GA 5/2/51 MADLAND G. MADLAND March 8, 19380 CAR DOOR Filed Sept. 1, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 -]/\/VE/\/7'OR- GABRIEL, MADLAND @Y W l A T Patented Mar. 8, 1938 gins FFEQE.

' CAR DOOR Gabriel Madland, Chicago, m, assignor to The Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ghio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 1, 1936, Serial No. 98,992

16 Claims.

This invention relates to car doors and is directed to improvements in sliding car doors of the lift type and means for limiting closing movement of said doors and locking thereof in closed position.

The instant improvements are particularly applicable to the auxiliary doors of railway house cars which cooperate with main doors to control openings of extraordinary width provided in the sides of such cars utilized for the shipment of automobiles, furniture and other bulky lading. The auxiliary doors carry posts secured to the front margins thereof and movable with said doors. These posts are presently utilized to limit -closing movement of said doors and to secure locking thereof in closed position. In the attainment of these results the posts cooperate with upper and lower stop castings, the latter castings being secured either directly to the side sills of the car underframe or to threshold plates which are bolted to said side sills.

The difiiculties which these lower stop castings present are serious. Securement directly to the side sills requires gaining out of the floor boards which lie above the side sills and either coping of the threshold plate or the use of a two piece threshold plate. 'Such securement moreover requires a variety of stop castings to satisfy variation in the construction and placement of side sills. Securement to the threshold. plate is unsatisfactory since subsequent warping and shrinkage of the floor boards renders them ineffective as a solid backing for the threshold plates. When the lower stop castings are struck by trucks or the like in the loading or unloading of a car, loosening of the threshold plates occurs. Since the lower stop castings are fastened to the threshold plates their position is disturbed and hence their cooperation with the door posts for the stated purpose is lost.

Most serious of the difficulties encountered is found in the projection of the lower stop castings above the floors of the cars. They thus impair loading and unloading of cars and have fre quently caused damage to automobiles and other lading handled by means of dolleys or the like. When these dolleys accidentally strike the projecting stop castings they are caused to swing about and the automobile on the dolley to strike against the car with resulting damage to said automobile.

The main objects of this invention are therefore to provide a lower stop member coo-perable with a sliding lift door to stop opening movement of and secure locking engagement with said door; to provide a lower locking member which may embody a stop for sliding lift doors, said member terminating below the door opening; to provide a lower locking member for such doors which may be secured tothe door track and made a standard design; to provide a lower locking member which shall serve to properly guide such doors in their final closing movement and resist outward pressure of the lading against said doors; and to provide sliding lift doors embodying gusset members formed with looking detents cooperable with lower locking members having any or all of the characteristics set out above.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

For the attainment of these objects the instant invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure l is a partial elevation of a railway house car embodying the instant invention.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Figure 1. V

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail of a lower corner of a sliding lift door in looking relationship with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 on an enlarged scale.

Figure 6 is a vertical section taken on line 63-43 of Figure 7.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing a modified form of the invention.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 88 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a detailed view of another form of the invention showing the securement thereof to a door track which is illustrated in section.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the numeral designates as a whole the portion of the railway house car illustrated. Each side of the house car is provided with a door opening of extraordinary width, such as indicated at H in Figure 2 of the drawings. Each door opening is defined by means of the door posts 52 and i3, and by means of a side plate M connecting these posts at the top, and a side sill l5 connecting the door posts at the bottom.

To close the door opening I l a pair of oppositely sliding doors is utilized. The right hand, or main door I6, comprises a metallic panel I! provided with a plurality of spaced horizontal corrugations l8 and vertical corrugations l9 and 26 adjacent the edges of the metallic panel and into which the horizontal corrugations merge. The forward vertical margin of the door [6 is reinforced by means of a substantially channel shaped member 2| which as hereinafter pointed out serves as a weatherproofing member as well. The rear vertical margin of the door is reinforced by means of a buffer angle 22 and a sealing strip 23 secured to said margin of the door as by means of a vertical row of rivets 24. The sealing strip 23 is adapted to cooperate with a guard strip 25 secured to the post l3 in the closed position of the main door in order to seal said margin of the door. The upper horizontal margin of the door 16 is reinforced by means of an angle 26 having a vertically disposed leg secured to said margin of the door and a horizontally disposed leg extending inwardly for the purpose hereinafter set forth in the description of the other or auxiliary door. The lower horizontal margin of the main door is reinforced by means of an angle member 21, more particularly described in the consideration of the auxiliary door.

The auxiliary door 28 comprises a metallic panel 29 formed with a plurality of spaced horizontal corrugations 30 which merge at their ends into vertical corrugations 3| and 32 formed adjacent the edges of the metallic panel. The forward vertical margin of the auxiliary door is reinforced by means of a substantially Z shaped member 33 which serves as a stop for the main door l6 and which cooperates with the reinforcing channel 2| of the main door in order to seal the meeting edges of the main and auxiliary doors as best illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

An additional reinforcing post 34 substantially Z shaped in section is fastened to the forward vertical margin of the auxiliary door, this post being braced by means of a knee brace 35 secured to said post as by the rivets 36 and to the panel of the door as by the rivets 31. Reinforcement of the rear vertical margin of the auxiliary door is provided by the buffer angle 22 and sealing strip 23 secured to said margin as by means of rivets 24. The sealing strip 23 cooperates with the guard strip 25 secured to the door post 62 for the purpose hereinbefore indicated. A reinforcing member 26 is secured to the upper horizontal margin of the auxiliary door, this securement being effected by means of a row of horizontal rivets 38 passing through the vertically disposed leg 39 of the reinforcing angle. The horizontally disposed leg 40 of said angle extends inwardly in overlapping relationship with a substantially J shaped header 4| which is secured to the depending leg 42 of the side plate it. The upper margin of the auxiliary door and the main door as well, is overlapped by means of a retaining bar 43 secured to the depending leg 52 of the side plate M as by means of rivets 44 in order to prevent accidental disengagement of the upper portion of these doors from the car. A reinforcing angle 2'! is secured to the lower horizontal margin of the door by means of rivets 35 extending through the vertically disposed leg Q6 of said reinforcing member. The horizontal leg t'l of said angle member 21 extends horizontally outwardly and is adapted to have frictional engagement with the inwardly extending horizontal leg 48 of an angular track 49 for a purpose which Will hereinafter appear.

As best shown in Figure 4 of the drawings, the reinforcing post 34 terminates above the floor 50 of the car. A threshold plate 5i fastened to the side sill 15 by means of bolts 52 is utilized to protect the outer portion of the floor.

In the closed position of the main and auxiliary doors they are adapted to be locked together by means of a locking mechan sm indicated generally by the reference numeral. 53. Opening and closing mechanism for the doors is shown as a whole at 54.

Both the main and auxiliary doors are of the sliding lift type. Doors of this type are characterized by the fact that in their normal or lowered position they are frictionally supported upon a track, or the like, and in their elevated position the support is transferred to antifriction means whereby the doors may readily be moved along the track in order to control the door opening. As far as the instant invention is concerned any type of lifting mechanism may be utilized for the doors. One form of such mechanism is illustrated generally in Figure l of the drawings and comprises briefly brackets 55 and 56 secured respectively adjacent the lower corners of the doors. The bracket member 55 carries a roller housing 5? which is journaled in said bracket. A roller 58 is carried by the roller housing 51, the axis of rotation of said roller being offset relative to the journal of the roller housing.

The bracket 56 similarly carries a roller housing 59 provided with a roller 68. The roller housings 51 and 59 are connected by a bar 6! so that the operation of these housings will be simultaneous. An operating lever 62 mounted upon one of the journals of the roller housing 59 is utilized to impart rotating movement of the roller housings about the rollers as fulcrums in order to obtain a lifting movement of the door. The lifting mechanism hereinabove described is Well known and its operation well understood in the art. Inasmuch as the lifting mechanism utilized for the main door is the same as that hereinabove described, no particular reference to the lifting mechanism of the main door will be made.

When the doors are in their normal or lowered position frictional engagement between the horizontal flange 47 of the angular reinforcing member 46 and the horizontal leg d6 of the track 49 is established. In order to move the doors upon the rollers of the lift mechanism the operating lever 62 is pulled downwardly whereupon the doors will be elevated upon the rollers, which may then readily move upon the track. When the doors reach their closed position the levers are released whereupon the door gravitates downwardly to again establish frictional engagement with the angular reinforcing member 66 of the door track. The above described lifting and lowering movement of the doors is utilized particularly in the instance of the auxiliary door to secure automatic locking engagement of said door while at the same time fulfilling all of the objects hereinbefore enumerated.

To this end in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, a locking member 63, preferably in the form of a casting, is secured to the track 49 as by means of rivets 64 passing through said member and the depending vertical leg 65 of the track. The rivets 4 are utilized additionally to fasten a member 66 to said track for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

The locking member 63 is provided with an upwardly extending locking projection 61' which, as clearly appears in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, terminates below the door opening. In order to render the locking projection 6'! effective as a means for locking the auxiliary door in its closed and lowered position, said projection extends through an opening 68 formed in the door track 49 and through an opening 69 formed in the horizontal flange M of the angular reinforcing member 46.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the locking member 63 is disposed below the track and within the vertical depending flange thereof so as to be protected by the track.

The auxiliary door adjacent its forward lower corner is provided with a locking detent adapted for cooperation with the locking projection 61 in order to lock the door. For this purpose, in the considered embodiment of the invention, a channel shaped member 10 is secured to the forward vertical margin of the door. This securement is effected by means of rivets H passing through the web 12 of the member 10 and through the door. The channel member 10 is disposed so that the flanges 13 and 14 thereof extend outwardly. With particular reference to Figure 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the web #2 and the flange E3 of the member 10 terminate above the flange M as indicated at 15. The flange M is bent inwardly to provide an extension '56 which is disposed upon the horizontal flange il of the angular reinforcing member 46. The extension 16 terminates at the opening provided in the horizontal flange 41. Said flange together with the extension 16 thereby constitutes a locking detent adapted to be associated in looking relationship with the projection 67 formed on the member 64 as clearly shown in Figure 5 of the drawings.

Assuming the door to be in open position a lowering movement of the operating lever 62 will effect an elevating movement of the auxiliary door. The amount of elevation of the door provided by the lifting mechanism is such that the horizontal flange M of the reinforcing member 46 may assume a position above the top of the locking projection 61. In this position the door may be moved upon the rollers of the lifting mechanism to closed position where upon release of the operating lever 62 the door will move downwardly and the locking detent on the door will automatically assume locking relationship with the locking projection 61.

In the event however, that the door is not sufficiently elevated so that the horizontal flange 4'! will clear the locking projection, said flange will strike against the projection as the door is moved to its closed position. The locking projection, therefore, is tapered as indicated at Ti and when this tapered portion is struck by the flange 41 it will cause the door to elevate sufficiently to ride over the locking projection 61.

As best illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, the auxiliary door when in its closed position is disposed behind the member 66 secured to the vertical depending leg 65 of the door track. Said member is provided with a generally convex inner face 18 which serves to guide,

the door in its final closing movement. I'he said member moreover cooperates with the channel member 10 in order to resist outward pressure of the lading against the door. This channel member it is secured by means of the rivets H to the reinforcing post 34 thereby utilizing the strength of this post to resist outward pressure against the lower forward corner of the door.

Since the instant invention is confined to means for locking the lower portion of a sliding lift door, the means for locking the upper portion of such door as employed at the present time is adhered to. This latter means embodies briefly a stop and locking casting 18A fastened to the depending vertical flange 42 of the side plate 84. This casting is provided with looking abutments l9 and 85 with which locking detents 8i and 82 provided on a casting 83 secured to the upper portion of the post 34 as by means of rivets 84 cooperate.

In Figure 9 of the drawings a modified form of the invention hereinabove considered is illustrated. In this form the separate locking member 63 and guide and retaining member 66 are formed integrally as shown at 85. The member 85, preferably in the form of a casting, is provided with a locking projection or abutment 8B, which is adapted to extend upwardly through the opening 68 formed in the horizontal leg 48 of the track Q9. The depending leg 65 of the track lies between the two branches 81 and 88 of the substantially U shaped casting 85. Rivets 89 serve to fasten the member 85 to this depending leg of the track. The outer branch 38 of the member 85 projects above the track and the projecting portion 9!! serves to guide the door in its final closing movement and to cooperate therewith to resist outward thrusts upon the door.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, incorporates in addition to the automatic locking features hereinabove considered, means which cooperate to limit the closing movement of the door. In addition the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, makes possible the elimination of the openings in the door track and in the angular reinforcing member 46.

The considered embodiment of the invention utilizes a member iii preferably in the form of a casting secured to the vertical depending leg 65 of the track as by means of rivets 92. The casting 9! is suitably reinforced by means of the spaced ribs 93, 94, and 95. The reinforcing rib 93 terminates substantially at thehorizontal leg 48 of the track. The connecting web 96, which extends between the reinforcing ribs 93 and 94, is spaced below the upper part of the reinforcing rib 93. The vertical reinforcing ribs 94 and 95 and the connecting portion 9? of the casting extend upwardly above the track 39, but terminate below the door opening H. By virtue of the hereinabove described construction of the casting 9f the reinforcing rib Q3 serves as a locking abutment and the reinforcing rib 94 serves as a stop for the door as hereinafter described. Moreover, the connecting portion 9'5 of the bracket which lies above the track and which is provided with a convex inner face 98 serves to guide the door in its final closing movement and to cooperate therewith to resist outward pressure against the door.

The door which is the auxiliary door is substantially of the same construction as the auxiliary door 28 hereinabove described. However in place of the channel member ii! there is utilized a gusset member 99, preferably in the form of a casting, and secured to the forward vertical margin of the door as by means of rivets Hi0 and to the adjacent lower horizontal margin of the door as by means of rivets NH. The upper rivets IE8, moreover, secure the gusset member 99 to the reinforcing post 34. The gusset member 99 carries a stop and locking detent This stop and locking detent, as clearly shown in Figure 8 of the drawings, projects outwardly from the door in substantially horizontal alignment with the reinforcing rib 94. In the closed and lowered position of the door the locking detent 562 is disposed in the recess provided by the vertical reinforcing ribs 93 and 94 and the connecting portion 96 of the casting ill which lies between the ribs. This association is clearly illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings.

Assuming the door to be in its open position it may readily be moved to closed position, as hereinabove described. As the door approaches its closed position it will be guided by the inner convex face 98 of the casting 9|. Since the door is elevated during the closing movement the locking detent Hi2 provided on the gusset member 95! will be elevated above the reinforcrib 93. As the door reaches its closed position the locking detent I02 will engage the reinfor ing rib E4 and thereby the closing movement of the door will be arrested. Upon release of the operating lever 62 of the lifting mechanism the door will automatically lower, thus establishing locking engagement between the locking detent H12 and the vertical rib 93 which then functions as a locking abutment.

Manifestly, numerous changes and modifications in the details of the embodiments of the invention disclosed will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is intended that all such changes and modifications be comprehended within the scope of the invention which is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a railway house car having a door opening and a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having locking abutment disposed below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, a locking detent provided on said door, said detent being associated in looking relationship with said looking abutment by lowering movement of said door for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway house car having a door opening and a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, means on said member and said door cooperable in the elevated position of said door for limiting closing movement thereof and cooperable means on said member and said door associated by lowering movement of said door to prevent opening movement thereof, said latter means on said member being disposed below said door opening.

3. In a railway house car having a door opening and a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a locking abutment disposed above said track and terminating below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, a locking detent provided on said door, said detent being associated in looking relationship with said locking abutment by lowering movement of said door for the purpose set forth.

4. A door for railway house cars comprising elevating mechanism for imparting vertical movement to said door and for supporting said door for sliding movement upon said car, a reinforcing post secured to the forward margin of and terminating above the lower edge of said door, a gusset member secured to the lower forward corner of said door, means securing said gusset member to said reinforcing post and a locking detent on said gusset member for the purpose set forth.

5. A door for railway house cars comprising elevating mechanism secured to the lower margin thereof for imparting vertical movement to said door and supporting said door for sliding movement upon said car, a gusset member secured to the lower forward corner of said door and a locking detent provided on said gusset member, said detent being adapted for locking cooperation with a locking abutment on said car by lowering movement of said door and for release from said abutment by elevating movement of said door.

6. In a railway house car having a door open ing, a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a locking abutment projecting upwardly through said track and terminating below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, said door having a locking detent disposed in locking engagement with said abutment by lowering movement of said door for the purpose set forth.

7. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a locking abutment projecting upwardly through said track and terminating below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, an angular reinforcing member secured to the lower margin of said door having a horizontal flange adapted to have frictional engagement with said track in the lowered position of said door, said horizontal flange having an opening therein through which said locking abutment projects in the closed and lowered position of said door for the purpose set forth.

8. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a locking abutment projecting upwardly through said track and terminating below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, an angular reinforcing member secured to the lower margin of said door having a horizontal flange adapted to have frictional engagement with said track in the lowered position of said door, said horizontal flange having an opening therein, a gusset mem ber secured to the lower forward corner of said door, said gusset member having a flange di posed upon said horizontal flange and ternu'nating adjacent one edge of said opening in said, horizontal flange, said locking abutment projection through said opening in said horizontal flange of the reinforcing member in the closed and lowered position of said door, said horizontal flange adjacent said opening and said flange on said gusset member cooperating with said looking abutment for the purpose set forth.

9. In a railway house car having a door open ing, a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a locking abutment projecting upwardly through said track and terminating below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, said door having a locking detent disposed in looking engagement with said abutment by lowering movement of said door, said member having a portion extending above said track for cooperation with the lower forward portion of said door to guide said door in the final closing movement thereof and to I resist outward pressure against said door when the latter is in closed position.

10. In a railway house car having a door opening and a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a locking abutment and a stop abutment disposed below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track and means on said door, said means engaging said stop abutment when said door is elevated to limit closing movement thereof and assuming locking relationship with said locking abutment when said door is lowered in closed position.

11. In a railway house car having a door opening and a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having spaced locking and stop abutments disposed below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, a gusset member secured to the lower forward corner of said door, a locking detent on said gusset member, said detent engaging said stop abutment in the elevated position of said door to limit closing movement thereof and establishing look ing relationship with said locking abutment when said door is lowered in closed position.

12. In a railway house car having a door opening and a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a locking abutment and a spaced door guide and retaining member, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, a gusset member secured to the lower forward corner of said door, a locking detent on said gusset member, said detent engaging said guide and retaining member in the elevated position of said door to limit closing movement thereof and establishing locking engagement with said locking abutment when said door is lowered in closed position, said guide and retaining member guiding the forward portion of said door in the final closing movement thereof and resisting outward pressure against said door in the closed position thereof.

13. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said. car below said door opening and oppositely sliding main and auxiliary doors of the lift type supported upon said track for closing said door opening, said auxiliary door having a post secured to the forward margin thereof and extending inwardly of said car, stop and locking abutments secured to said track and disposed below said door opening, reinforcing means secured to the outside of said auxiliary door substantially at the lower forward corner thereof, said means comprising a locking detent, said detent engaging said stop abutment in the elevated position of said door to limit closing movement thereof and establishing locking relationship with said locking abutment in the closed and lowered position of said door.

14. In a railway house car having a door opening and a track secured to said car below said opening, stop andlocking abutments secured to said track and disposed below said door opening,

a lift doorfor said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track and means on said door, said means engaging said stop abutment when, said door is elevated to limit closing movement thereof and assuming locking relationship with said locking abutment when said door is lowered in closed position.

15. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, means on said member and said door cooperable in the elevated position of said door for limiting closing movement thereof and cooperable means on said door and said member associated by lowering movement of said door to prevent opening movement thereof, said latter means on said member being disposed below said door opening.

16. In a railway house car having a door opening, a track secured to said car below said opening, a member secured to said track having a looking abutment disposed above said track and terminating below said door opening, a lift door for said opening adapted for sliding movement upon said track, a locking detent provided on said door, said detent being associated in looking relationship vvith said abutment by lowering movement of said door to prevent opening movement thereof.

GABRIEL MADLAND. 

